Hi,
I'm Josh - currently studying for a Physics degree at Warwick uni
=D
Hi,
I'm Josh - currently studying for a Physics degree at Warwick uni
=D
Member since:19.12.2006
Reviews:6
To start, i have owned one of these players since Easter this year, and i have been extremely happy with it, no problems whatsoever.
Let's start with looks. The NW3000 is black with a silver band and a clear top. The top is also completely black when turned off, or when playing music - when you push a button, lights underneath glow and you can see what you're listening to, perform searches, etc. The buttons are a bit iPod like, with out the 'wheel' functionality, but they are robust and feel like they're up to a lot of action. The screen is great, single colour, but decent brightness and aesthetically pleasing.
Next, Features. The 20gb hard drive is enough to carry all your albums in about 128kbs mp3 format. I have about 2600 songs and i'm using 15gb (i like my music to sound nice). There are many search/shuffle features and you can sort by category, name, album, artist, etc. I also use it as a "pen" drive, so i can put all my coursework files on it in college, etc. The EQ values can be changed to adjust to your 'phones, and there are several customisable playlists (100 songs can be added to each).
Sound Quality Providing you use a decent set of headphones, the nwa3000 has an impressive tonal quality (i use Shure E2G's). There is little distortion at high levels of bass/treble and it's very rich. The supplied headphones are reasonable, but i would recommend getting a better pair. (but hey, they're free!)
Software Ok, the main disadvantage is CONNECT. It is abismal, however it is not a requirement. If you search for SonicStage, it is a very good replacement - it doesn't hang your system, has a fast write speed and is powered by GraceNote so you don't have to enter in artist details manually. It is ONLY FOR WINDOWS, so don't get it a nwa3000 if you're a Mac or Linux user. Be warned, you cannot just drag and drop files onto the player, you must send them via the application which converts them into proprietary format.
Usability Well, i find it simple to use - the menu is organised well and it is a cinch to find the artist you're looking for. The only main gripe i have is that it occasionally takes a while to load the index and there is no 'adaptive fast forward' (ie, if you're listening to an hour long audio book, you can only skip at a slow speed). The instructions are clear, but not really neccesary for anyone who has any technical knowledge
Conclusion I personally would recommend the Sony NWA3000 simply because it is a very good alternative to the iPOD in my opinion. There is more than enough space to store all your albums (be serious, 80GB is only good if you want films in your pocket). It looks fantastic (though you will want to clean it all the time - get a silicon case to stop the scratching) and is definitely a fashion item :)
All in all, the price is a little over inflated, but for what you're getting - it's worth it!
Advantages: 'Better than iPod' design. 'Better than iPod' look. Battery life (20-25 hours). The entire piece of hardware! Disadvantages: The abysmal almost unusable software.
TheFirstEscapist 21.11.2005 (21.11.2005)
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Ciao members have rated this review on average: very helpful
Review of Sony Walkman NW-A3000 20 GB
Advantages: Sounds amazing, looks cool, clear screen, easy to use, feels good, good weight Disadvantages: No support for ogg, connect software is useless, slight hesitation on menus, no remote
Dec 19th, 2006
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